Page 15 of Grinch Girl

“I’ll buy your fifty percent,” I said quickly. “You don’t live here. What are you going to do with half a shop in Falworth? You live in Chicago.”

She did not care for the harsh tone of my voice at all. “This is still my home, J-Bird. Maybe I want to buyyouout!”

The fucking nerve of her. How dare she? How dare she threaten to take the place where I’d spent the happiest hours of my last decade? It would be so easy for her too. She clearly had the money, since she was running around buying Christmas Villages.

Where did she get that money anyway? I knew she had a good job, but I also knew she’d taken almost two years off to write some fancy computer software. Hmmm. Maybe she’d finished it and sold it? That would be surprising, as she used to blather on and on about contributing to the “free software movement” someday, but maybe she’d changed.

Not that it mattered. All that mattered was that Bella had the money to back up her offer and I didn’t. I had some savings, but they were “in case my jobs fall through, I can survive the winter in my shitty apartment” savings, not the kind that could buy a business. I’d have to take out a loan to do that. Even the thought of taking on the debt caused the rational part of my brain to begin fashioning an ulcer for my stomach. What was I thinking? How could I even consider a loan? The business was failing.

“Well,” Mr. Schlender set the paperwork down on his desk and clasped his hands. “You two can talk about that later, because we’re not quite finished here. Greta has one last wish to share.” He pulled an envelope from a folder; I could see Greta’s handwriting on the outside.

“It’s a letter to you. Both of you.” He cleared his throat, as if on stage. “Shall I read it?”

“No!” Bella and I exclaimed in unison. We didn’t want Greta’s last words to us delivered in Mr. Schlender’s voice.

I was about to tell him to leave us the hell alone, but Bella smiled sadly at him and wiped her eyes. “Do you think we could have a few minutes of privacy in your office, Mr. Schlender? We’ll read it together.”

He softened and stood. “Of course.” The door shut behind him.

“Take it out of the envelope and just lay it on the desk,” I said. Bella nodded and slid out the single sheet of paper with her long, elegant fingers and placed the page on the edge of the desk. We both stood over it to read.

My darling girls,

Bella and Jane, you have been the joy of my days. Thank you—thank you for being the loves of my life. That is the most important thing I needed to say. I hope, wherever I am, that I’m too blissful or full of light or whatever to be missing you both with every part of my heart, but that’s hard to imagine.

I didn’t want a funeral. Just the idea of the whole town gathering without me made me crazy with jealousy—even if they were talking about me!

You know what I do want though? The two of you to spend a night together, celebrating me. Talking about all of our memories—the ones the three of us shared and the ones I’ve shared individually with each of you.

It’s mid-August as I write this letter, and I know that I won’t be here for the holidays. So here’s the deal, my loves. You’ll be spending Christmas Eve together this year. A sleepover in the house. Remember our amazing Christmas Eve sleepovers when you were little? You were both so determined to catch Santa in the act, but you could never keep your eyes open past eleven, thank goodness.

Anyway, this year I want you to talk all night and toast me with mimosas on Christmas morning. *That* is the life celebration I want.

Love is such a small word for all I feel for you.

Greta

My face was entirely wet and my nose was embarrassingly close to dripping. I snuffled and blindly looked around until I found a tissue box on a nearby shelf. Bella covered her face with her hands and dropped back into her chair, shoulders shaking.

I couldn’t even be mad about Greta’s meddling, not when every word of her letter had been written with such care and adoration. I missed her so much my soul hurt.

Bella’s face finally emerged from her hands. Her eyelids were swollen, her face pink and blotchy. “Jane.”

I didn’t know what she wanted from me at this minute, but I couldn’t give it. Of course I’d honor Greta’s last wish—I would have honored hundreds of them. I would spend Christmas with Bella, fine.

But until then…I cleared my throat and pushed back my shoulders. “I have to go to work.”

“Jane,” she said again, and this time there was an irritating mix of exasperation and condescension in her voice.

“For Greta, I’ll do Christmas,” I said impatiently. “But nothing else has changed. And I want the shop.” I looked at my watch. “Shit. Gotta go.”

She looked like she wanted to protest, but I said, “Maureen’ll be pissed if I’m late for my shift,” and she snapped her mouth shut and looked at me with sad eyes. Or with pity? Probably. Like every other teenager in the nearby towns, Bella had worked at the resort restaurant in high school. She probably remembered Maureen’s legendary temper.

She probably thought it was unbelievably pathetic that I still picked up shifts there as a grown woman.Sorry to embarrass you, Bells. But not all of us could go to college and get set up for a lifetime of success. Some of us got stuck here.

I let the door slam behind me on the way out.

Chapter Five

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